Political developments in Bucharest

This weekend saw the organization of two political events: the extraordinary congress of the Social Democratic Party, the dominant party in the ruling coalition, and the National Council of the National Liberal Party, in opposition

Ştefan Stoica, 12.03.2018, 13:22

The Social Democrats leader obtained what he wanted from Saturdays extraordinary congress: his informal reconfirmation as leader of the main party in the ruling coalition in Romania made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats and the election of his faithful collaborator and Romanias incumbent Prime Minister, Viorica Dăncilă for the position of executive president of the party. Her contenders for this position, the former ministers Ecaterina Andronescu and Nicolae Bănicioiu, left the congress hall, discontented with the fact that the voting started before they could deliver their speeches. Actually, their gesture was the only form of criticism at the Social Democrats congress, which was labeled by observers as a new show of force of Liviu Dragnea.

The Social Democrats have eventually chosen to line up under the firm leadership of an unrivalled Liviu Dragnea who promised them not to abandon the reform of the justice laws and of the criminal codes. A reform that has so far triggered severe criticism from legal institutions in Romania, from the public opinion and Romanias foreign partners. The Social Democrats also intend to reform the countrys main institutions and the secret services, which, according to Dragnea and his cronies, are accessories in the operation of undermining the activities of the democratically elected power. This idea could not be proved with arguments, although Liviu Dragnea continues to uphold it:

“Lets change the legislation, so that Romanians should feel free in their country and we should have less abuses made by many institutions in Romania. In this parliamentary session well also start a process of modernization of the laws regulating the activity of the Romanian Intelligence Services.

The Prime Minister Dăncilă is persuaded that her election as executive president of the Social Democratic Party will provide a better communication between the party and the government.

“This position of executive president of the party will ensure a very good relation between the Government and the Social Democratic Party, because in my capacity as Prime Minister Ill do everything in my power to implement the program Romanians voted in 2016.

The agenda of the Social Democrats extraordinary congress did not include the nomination of the candidate to run for the 2019 presidential election. This seems to be a taboo topic for the Social Democrats, but not for the Liberals, the main opposition party. On Sunday, the Liberals decided at their National Council meeting, to support president Klaus Iohannis for a new term in office as president.

The Liberals thus wanted to eliminate any speculation over an alleged freezing of relations with the president. Definitively acquitted in a corruption case, that barred his candidacy to the Bucharest mayor position and weakened his political position, the president of the Liberals, Ludovic Orban, has become the partys candidate for the position of Prime Minister. Orban promised that the Liberal Party would come up with a responsible governing program based on analyses and impact studies and asked party members to get totally involved in the battle with the Power. Ludovic Orban:

“I never wanted party members to abide by the leaders decisions out of fear. I want to make one thing clear: I am responsible for the Liberals performance, I will no longer accept that 75%- 80% of the party members who are indeed working to be hampered in their action by the 25% who are not working.

The Liberals are ready to take over power, said the first vice-president of the party, Raluca Turcan:

“The National Liberal Party has to obtain the power. In this current parliamentary session well file another censure motion and well try to bring together all political forces in Romanias Parliament so as to be able to change the majority, to remove the Social Democrats from power and replace them with the Liberals.

(Translated by L. Simion)